


The Power of a Rose

by PagingPaige



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 16:44:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PagingPaige/pseuds/PagingPaige





	The Power of a Rose

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reapingfolk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reapingfolk/gifts).



_Prologue_

As a young girl, too curious for her own good, Belle had gotten into her fair share of trouble.  She lived in a small village on the outskirts of a sprawling forest, in the shadow of a large, abandoned castle.  The family that had lived there had been forced out hundreds of years ago, along with all of the villages that had been under their protection.  Belle's village had been the only one to survive with many of their people still alive, though only because they had fled into the forest while their homes were burned to the ground.  Time had healed the land and the people perservered, making a simple life for themselves.  Belle lived with her father at the very edge of town, closest to the forest.  It worked better that way because they were both a bit, well, odd.  She loved to read and explore the forest while her father tinkered away at his inventions. He was an outcast in their small town and so was she, but she never minded much.  He was brilliant because he looked at the world differently, saw how pieces fit together.  Belle was always envious of that and often found herself wandering the woods to find answers.

When she was eight years old, she discovered a hidden entrance to the castle that had been abandoned for so long, tucked away under ivy and other foliage.  Unable to curb her curiosity, Belle entered the castle and began to explore.  She didn't return home for three days, wholly captivated by the dust covered decor.  Her favorite room was the library, filled to the brim with books of all kinds.  She'd fallen asleep on the floor that first night, surrounded by piles and piles of books she wanted to read.  Her father hadn't even noticed she was missing, so whe she set off again for the castle, it was with a few days' worth of food and a skin of water from the pump.  After two weeks in the castle, Belle was certain she'd covered a great deal of main rooms and such, but she'd yet to climb the towers.  The tallest one seemed the most exciting, so that was the one she chose to climb.

The sun hadn't quite reached it's peak when she got to the top of the tower.  It was a large, empty room, with only a large window at the opposite end from the doorway and a single wooden chair in the middle of the room.  Belle immediately went to the window and tried to see her villiage. She could, which made her smile. She loved the little community because of how interesting everyone was. After a moment, she turned her attention back to the room and noticed the chair more closely. It was positioned right underneath a discolored slab of stone on the ceiling. Curious as always, Belle climbed up on the chair and tried to reach the ceiling. She couldn't quite reach, as short as she was, but she continued to try, going so far as to jump up. When her fingers finally brushed against the smooth stone, it desintigrated.

Before she could figure out how to get up there, a rope ladder rolled down. Belle didn't think twice, just climbed up, but there was only one thing in the small attic. A round side table stood directly under the point of the tower. On top of it was a domed container that held a single, glowing red rose. Enchanted by it, Belle walked over and pulled the dome off, setting it on the floor before reaching for the rose. As soon as her fingers touched the petals, her world went black.

* * *

 

_Ten Years Later_

Prince Adam had recently turned twenty-one, a milestone for a man of his lineage, and he was expected to either marry or go to battle. His father was alive, but unwell, and his mother did the best she could taking care of him. They lived a month's ride from where their family's home had been, centuries ago. Adam thought it would be good for his father to be reunited with his ancestors, perhaps find peace there before his death.

He said nothing of his plans and slipped away in the dead of night with provisions for his journey. Adam rode at a decent pace, changing horses as needed and stopping to rest in out of the way inns. Very few knew who he was, or recognized him, and he was grateful for that. It always brought unwelcome attention. It took the full month for him to arrive at the village closest to his ancestors' abandoned castle. He decided to ask around about the place before heading there the following day.

"Pardon me, but can you tell me anything about the castle not far from here? I've heard it's abandoned." The barkeep was more than willing to share the tale of how a beast had eaten the curious girl who'd been exploring the castle a decade ago.

"The girl's father still hasn't gotten over it. He's not right in the head, you know? Can't blame him, since it's his daughter, but still. He's always been a bit off."

Adam thanked the man and turned the story over in his mind. If there was a beast that had taken up residence, he would need to kill it before the castle would be theirs again. Surely it had been tried before. He asked the man.

"No one really cares enough, anymore. The beast won't come near us after we ran it off years ago. Hurt the monster something bad, but it still managed to get away."

Adam nodded thoughtfully and turned in shortly thereafter. He knew the beast shouldn't be underestimated, especially if it had made a home of it for over a decade. Why would it need the castl, though, if it was surrounded by nature?

The next morning, Adam set out on horseback with a few days' provisions he'd bought from the tavern. He wasn't sure what he would find or what kind of fight the beast would give him. He wanted to be prepared so that he could do his duty to his parents.

He arrived before midday and tied his horse to the outside gate, hoping to keep his approach somewhat quiet. Adam observed how overrun and forgotten the place was. Why had they not returned sooner? He knew, of course, that politics had played a large part in it, but those grudges were centuries old. Did they truly need to be punished for it still?

Adam shook off his thoughts as he pressed forward. The main door creaked loudly, but he kept going. The element of surprise wouldn't have helped him much anyway, he thought. He drew his sword and crept inside, the door closing behind him. The place was definitely creepy, but Adam had been in worse situations, as far as he was concerned. The main floor seemed to be empty, so he took the large formal staircase and began searching room by room. Most seemed abandoned, a few destroyed in anger, but there were a few that looked almost lived in.

The library struck him as the oddest room. It was dusty and unkempt, but it was also lived in. Stacks of books surrounded a soft pallet made of blankets and cushions, which seemed to be covered in hair. It was coarser than dog hair and reminded him of a wolf, but surely a wolf couldn't _read_! There was a book open on one side, a picture of a rose in some sort of container, and the story that went with it.

A growl behind him alerted him to the beast's presence. Adam put his hands up and slowly turned around to face the creature the barkeep had told him about. The wolf was slight and looked odd. It was different from the other wolves he had faced. Adam couldn't think of why, however, because it was still a wolf and his sword was still about his waist.

The wolf snapped its jaw at him, but Adam kept his gaze locked on the beast's eyes. It was then that he realized something wasn't right. He knelt down in front if the creature.

"I'm going to take off my sword," he told the wolf, never lowering his eyes. "I am Prince Adam, son of Prince Edmund and Princess Catherine, descendants of King Edward and Queen Liana, who ruled over their small kingdom from this castle, until they were forced out by King Desmond."

The wolf seemed to understand because it stopped growling. Adam took that as a good sign and held his hand out. The wolf eyed him for a few long minutes before stepping forward. It stopped in front of his hand and sat on its haunches.

"You're not a wolf, are you?" he asked, the puzzle pieces clicking for him. He recalled the story passed down from parent to child.

The wolf cocked its head and then nudged his hand. It got up and trotted out, intending for him to follow. When he didn't, the wolf returned to the doorway and growled at him. Adam smiled and stood, ready to follow the wolf who was likely not a wolf.

The wolf led him to the highest tower and then sat next to the chair that was still there after all those years. Adam understood and climbed up, using his arms to pull him up through the opening. When he saw the rose, he understood completely. Only those of royal blood could touch the rose. When King Desmond had gone after King Edward, Queen Liana ensured the castle would be inhospitable to anyone who dared take their place. The rose, the symbol of their power, held the key to restore the castle and grounds to their former glory. If anyone other than a royal touched it, they would be cursed to live as a predator.

Adam picked up the domed casing with the rose inside and carefully lowered himself down. "I think I know how to help you," he explained, before he led the way down to through the castle to the desolate garden. The sun was fading, but Adam still wanted to try.

"Can you dig here?" The wolf nodded and pawed at the patch of earth he had indicated. Once it was deep enough, Adam lifted the cover off the rose and, despite the wolf's warning, touched it. He carefully lifted it and placed the stem in the dirt. He filled in the hole around it and then waited. Nothing happened, much to their disappointment. The sun had set moments before, so he reasoned the rose only needed sunlight.

"Come on. Let's go inside. We'll check on it in the morning. I have food, and I can read that story you were looking at to you." The wolf nodded and nudged his hand, before they headed back to the castle.

It was the first night the wolf had slept well in a decade.

When morning came, the sunlight streamed through the windows and found the wolf first, curled up on its pallet. The golden light engulfed its body, taking on a more magical effect as the prince came awake.

"What the-" He could only watch as the wolf was transformed in front of him. When the light faded, a beautiful young woman lay naked on the floor. He hadn't been expecting that. It took him a moment to snap to his senses and, just as she started to wake, he hastily draped his cloak over her body to preserve her modesty.

"Miss?"

Belle screamed at the voice, clutching the fabric to her body. It took her a few moments to get her bearings and another moment for her to realize that she was human. "Oh my _god_ , how did you do that?" She was thrilled and excited. Without thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, her excitement getting the better of her.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, but she didn't let go of him just yet.

"No, no," he quickly replied, wrapping his own arms securely around her. He'd never met a woman he wanted to kiss. There was something special about her. He lifted one hand to tuck some of her beautiful brown hair behind her ear. "Are you the little girl that was eaten by the wolf?" he asked.

Belle nodded. "My name is Belle. I was exploring when I found the rose. I woke up as a wolf." She sighed softly and rested her head against his broad shoulder. "Oh no! My father!" Belle's head shot up, concern clear on her face.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'll take you back to the village," Adam promised. He smiled and kissed her softly once more. "Let's find you something to wear," he suggested, lifting her easily into his arms as he got to his feet. He found her clothes to wear that weren’t too badly aged and then brought her to her village.  

Before making himself known as Prince, Adam took Belle’s father aside and asked for permission to marry her.  They were wed the very day his parents arrived.  The magic of the rose had spread across the castle and the surrounding lands, bringing forth new life to the small village. 

They were a kingdom once more.


End file.
